The adventure begins - thanks to Chuck W3FJJ

Step 2 - turn it over onto the dolly. The book says 1100 lbs. without
the drawers.....

Step 3 - roll it out to the truck and engine hoist

Step 4 - Hoist away

Ready to go - this was nowhere near as smooth a procedure as it seems - we
had to try several variations of lift/push/pry/pull before getting it all
aboard.

The next night - back in North Carolina

Unload the drawers

Hoist it out - things went smoother this time! Experience helps - so
does gravity

John, Nick, Hoist

Wrap it up for Christmas - well, for a few days until I have time to get
the transformers out and do some serious cleaning

Day 1 of nice weather - removing parts for cleaning and to lighten the
load
If I take enough reference photos, maybe I'll remember how to put it back
together......

interlock goes here

HV caps removed

fil xfmr tray below HV caps

leads unsoldered

fil xfmr tray removed

mod xfmr

Mod xfmr - oof!

plenty of critter debris

blower removed
HV choke removed at rear

AC mains terminal board

600v choke & HV choke removed

115/230 terminal board on standoffs

MV xfmr removed

end of day 1 - reference photos
plate xfmr, regulator xfmr, and autoxfmr still to go

Day 2 - Half a day of kneeling over with my head stuck in the power
supply compartment trying to figure out how to get access to the mounting
screws for the remaining heavy iron - whew - at least I got the plate xfmr
out. Still need to work on the autoxfmr and regulator - not only are they
inaccessible but that portion of the deck plate is rusty so the screws are
a pain. I'll let the liquid wrench soak in for a few days while my back
recovers.

Work bench

Mod xfmr

Take a photo before starting

Beginning to remove the rectifier deck

More work on the rectifier deck

the deck is removed and lookee here - a previous visitor to the power
supply cabinet

Do you think I am ever going to get this re-assembled???

Getting access to the left front regulator mounting screw (hidden in that
corner) is a real problem

Maybe stripping the left door will help?

End of the day - the plate xfmr is out

Here's what's left

Day 3 - I have a plan. I'll try to remove the fan mounting tray (below
the modulator, above the power supply deck) in order to get access
to the remaining power supply components. I'll have to remove components
and a wire harness, but it looks do-able. Only had 2 hours of daylight
today but made some plans and progress.

Documentation shots of the fan tray

--

--

relays mounted on front wall of fan tray
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Odd little pieces at front corners - removable so that the harness can be
taken out?

unbolted the RHS xfmr mounting tray

it got dark before I could unsolder and remove xfmrs.

Day 4 - got in a few hours before dark/cold. Removed everything from
the fan tray - left all the wires attached to the relay bank and to the
controls and power resistors on top and bottom of the tray. Still need to
remove the AM-CW HV relay mounted on the left side - got access to it by
removing a xfmr above it - then maybe can try to remove the tray itself.
Radical thought - I may be able to pull the entire wiring harness out - it
runs up the corners of the frame but looks removable from there. We'll
see!

relay bank hanging free - not as much a disaster as it appears....honest!

spark gap for ?

inside the tray

HV interlock

>>>> components from top of tray >>>>

what a mess of entrails!

now the tray is filthy but free of wiring and components.

ready to come out - I hope! Remaining components on bottom deck plate are
visible through the fan hole.

Day 5 - The rain quit and the sun came back out today. So I dealt with
some really really rusty screws (had to chisel the heads off) and got the
Fan Tray removed. Then I chiseled a few more screws, but finally got the
rest of the heavy iron out. Next up is unsoldering the smaller stuff,
removing the harness (I hope) and a good washing for the frame.

Ta-da! - the fan tray is finally out

LHS - HV relay support bracket loose

1200v choke removal enables access to autoxfmr and regulator xfmr

They're out!

--

Components in the garage awaiting cleaning

Day 6 - a few more hours of daylight (did I mention all this is
happening in mid-December?) and down on my knees for unsoldering some more
of the wiring harness

RHS xfmr bracket

RHS door

HV relays

MV rectifier fil xfmr

--

Cable routing

Control panel

Resistors beneath antenna coupler drawer

I'm getting close....maybe tomorrow I can get the harness out.

Day 7 - OK, I've got it apart - the big question is how long will it
take to get back together?????????

Document the wiring harness

OMG! What Have I Done!!!

JP says "That's It!

Steel Bottom deck

Now two of us can lift it easily

Heading for the basement ham shack

Ok, we're there - just outside the shack door - will leave it here a
while to dry off

Will I ever figure out where all those wires go???

The Rack is in the Shack! -

Stay Tuned for Part II as our hero attempts to re-assemble the
world's biggest Heathkit !!!!

A brief spell of warm weather after Christmas - so I did a first-level
cleaning on the drawers and slides, removing mouse pee & poop, acorns,
general grunge, etc. before moving them into the house.

MO/FSK power supply

And temporary reassembly inside the shack 12/31/12 - the wiring harness
and 800 lbs of xfmrs have yet to be re-installed!

I pulled the transformers from the MO/FSK power supply so I could move
the Modulator drawer. All the other transformers are still in the garage
too.

--

Warm weather in January - starting to untangle & clean
the wiring harness

Fan tray items

separating the rectifier sockets.

Cut filament wires....

Tucked in for the evening..

The next day - more work removing components from the harness and
documenting same

relay "3"

terminal strip for AN/FRT-18 connection

--

A day of rain and then a nice warm day for working again - a sunny 70
degree Saturday in January!

Let's get crazy - hit the wiring with Windex, scrub with toothbrush, rinse
with hose, repeat - then dry it out (I hope)

Result - it is now no longer incredible filthy, just kind of normally
dirty...

Where'd it go?

Spread out to dry for a while

"central nervous system" of AN/FRT-17

End of the one sunny day - time to haul it all inside

Spread it out, turn up the room heat, turn on the fan....and cross my
fingers!